Neti Pot, Take Two

When I wrote this post back in December 2010, I was relatively new to the Neti Pot. Now, after 1 year of experience, I am revisiting the subject.

Measuring the Salt: I now keep a salt grinder (similar to a pepper grinder) filled with rock salt. Twelve twists on the cap into a large coffee cup is the measuring I use.

Hot Purified Water: After putting in the salt, I fill the cup with hot purified water and stir until the water is clear. (The salt will cloud the water until it dissolves.) This eliminates the boiling and storage and re-heating process, thus simplifying it a great deal. (Note: originally I had written "hot tap water," however recent studies are finding that the impurities in tap water can have severe consequences including death.)

Cold Water When Stuffed Up: When your sinuses are swollen ("stuffed up") no amount of hot water is going to unplug it. In fact, hot water will just make the situation worse. What I just discovered is that when your sinuses are swollen, use cold water. This will reduce the swelling and the water will run through.